Drill – Counter Ambush

Purpose

Counter Ambush is executed in reaction to a very Hard Contact (usually an ambush) – one which can quickly suppress and even destroy your team in short order. This is as opposed to an Immediate Assault, where the contact is only a light Hard Contact or a Chance Contact. Your team’s position when an ambush commences is known as the Kill Zone, which is the position the enemy ambushing force intends to keep you in, as they have an advantaged position against it.

 

Execution

There are two types of Counter Ambush Drills: Near (Ambush from < 50m) and Far (> 50m). They differ in the violence of the enemy fire based on it’s distance and what your team is able to do as a result of this.

Both of these drills need to be executed automatically and immediately by each member of the team, as there is little to no opportunity for command driven coordination. Therefore for the team to collectively know the appropriate time and type of Counter Ambush drill to use it must be well trained and drilled in them.

 

Near – Counter Ambush

In this situation there is very little time or space for your team to maneuver, and simply hiding in cover will result in your inevitable destruction. Therefore, the team’s intent is to fight through and out of the Kill Zone as quickly and as violently as possible:

      • Team members in the killing zone without order or signal, immediately return continuous suppressive fire, throw frag grenades and commence  Fire and Movement to assault through and occupy the enemy positions. The result of this is that your team has moved out of the Kill Zone, hindered the enemy fire and prevents the enemy from firing at your team without risking fratricide.
      • In the event that there is another friendly team not in the Kill Zone at the start of the Ambush, then that team becomes the Base-of-Fire Element.

 

Far – Counter Ambush

In this situation, the greater distance from the ambush force and your team affords your team some opportunity to seek cover with less risk of destruction. The team’s intent is to establish an effective Base-of-Fire and use another team to assault the enemy if there is one.

      • Team members in the killing zone without order or signal, immediately return fire and seek available cover, and throw smoke grenades to provide concealment for themselves, or fire launched smoke grenades to obscure the enemies line of fire. The team will also focus fire and suppress or destroy high threat targets, such as crew served weapons to try and hinder the enemy fire.
      • If there is another friendly team not in the Kill Zone at the start of the Ambush, then that team becomes the Maneuver-Element, and the ambushed team becomes the Base-of-Fire Element.
      • If there is no other team, then the ambushed team either disengages the enemy with the Peeling Drill, or assaults the enemy with Fire and Movement or Fire and Maneuver.

 

Both these Counter Ambush drills ends when the enemy is destroyed or withdraws and the Team Leader deems it not necessary to completely destroy the enemy.